Monday, June 8, 2009

The final session of oral presentations for the first day of SLEEP 2009 is underway and will conclude at 4:45 p.m. Pacific Time.

Some American Academy of Sleep Medicine section members will be in section meetings from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.Day two of the scientific program will begin with six symposia at 8 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday.

Invited lecturer Dr. Thomas J. Balkin, chief of the department of behavioral biology at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, is speaking this afternoon on “Science for the Sleepy Soldier.” He is focusing on the problems faced by soldiers during continuous military operations.

Earlier this year the U.S. Army Medical Command proposed changes to current Army sleep guidelines. The draft proposal recommends that U.S. soldiers in combat zones get seven to eight hours of sleep each night; current guidelines suggest that soldiers get at least four hours of sleep each day when deployed. Read a report on the Sleep Education Blog.

Another report on the Sleep Education Blog indicates that the U.S. Navy is taking a high-tech approach in addressing issues related to sleep cycles and sleep deprivation. It is testing the Fatigue Avoidance Scheduling Tool software, or FAST. This system helps predict performance over time based on sleep and work schedules. Read the full report.

Kushida vowed that under his leadership the AASM would remain committed to meeting the needs of its diverse membership, and he highlighted some of the issues that he intends to prioritize as president.

These include advancing evidence-based practices in the field of sleep medicine, developing collaborations and scientific networks to take advantage of research funding opportunities, exploring new ways to introduce the field of sleep to young students and scientists, working together with other international sleep organizations to increase the availability of educational resources for sleep specialists in other countries, and giving sleep specialists a voice in national discussions on health-care reform.

Earlier in the meeting the entire AASM board of directors for 2009-20010 was introduced. Joining Kushida as officers are past president Esther, president-elect Dr. Pat Strollo, and secretary-treasurer Dr. Nancy Collop.

After a report from Secretary-Treasurer Collop, Esther presented the 2009 AASM Young Investigator Award to Dr. Rakesh Bhattacharjee form the University of Louisville; honorable mention went to Dr. Mark Brown, Dr. Irma Rukhadze, Dr. Shadab Rahman and Dr. Siobhan Banks.

Kushida gave an update on the initiatives of the American Sleep Medicine Foundation, which has awarded nearly $3 million in grants since 2000 to support sleep research. Esther followed with the president’s report, highlighting recent initiatives advanced by the AASM in the areas of academic sleep medicine, sleep research and clinical sleep medicine. She then presented the president’s gavel to Kushida to symbolize the transfer of leadership.

In a clinical workshop taking place this morning at SLEEP 2009, chair Dr. Michael Russo and a faculty of experts are presenting, “Sleep, Wake and Traumatic Brain Injury.” The workshop focuses on sleep symptoms and sleep disorders that are associated with mild traumatic brain injury.

A relevant study published in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that treating sleep disorders in adults with TBI may result in the objective resolution of the sleep disorder without improvements in daytime sleepiness or neuropsychological function. Read an AASM press release about the study.

A 2007 study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine reported that a full spectrum of common sleep disorders occurs in patients with chronic TBI – including obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, hypersomnia, narcolepsy, periodic limb movements and parasomnias such as REM sleep behavior disorder.

A clinical workshop is a forum for clinicians to review and discuss clinical challenges in sleep medicine, or to present and discuss controversial clinical topics and difficult clinical situations. Over the next three days there will be seven clinical workshops at SLEEP 2009.

The SLEEP 2009 plenary session was a successful beginning to the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC. The session featured a keynote address from Dr. Howard Roffwarg on “Participation of REM Sleep in the Development of the Brain: Starting Hypothesis, Unfolding Data, Current Perspective.” Roffwarg is professor of psychiatry and human behavior, and director of the departmental division of sleep medicine, at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Miss.

After Program Committee Chair Dr. Michael Sateia opened the plenary session, American Academy of Sleep Medicine President Dr. Mary Susan Esther came forward to present the 2009 AASM Awards. The first recipient to be recognized was Dr. Sateia of Dartmouth Medical School and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, who received the Nathaniel Kleitman Distinguished Service Award for the many contributions he has made to the AASM since becoming a member in 1990.

Esther presented the William C. Dement Academic Achievement Award to Dr. David White of Harvard Medical School, who is the former editor of the journal SLEEP and current chief medical officer for Philips Respironics Inc. The Mark O. Hatfield Public Policy Award was presented to Dr. Alejandro Chediak of Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, who was the 2007 – 2008 AASM president. Then the Excellence in Education Award went to Dr. James Rowley of the Wayne State University School of Medicine, who is the chair of the AASM Education Committee.

The Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award was presented to two individuals whose research has led to a greater understanding of the genetic basis for sleep-related movement disorders such as restless legs syndrome: Dr. David Rye of the Emory University School of Medicine and Dr. Juliane Winkelmann of the Technical University Munich in Germany.

Vitiello then presented the Mary A. Carskadon Outstanding Educator Award to Dr. David Dinges of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, who is editor in chief of the journal SLEEP.

A study (#0808) being presented later this morning as a poster examined the genetic heritability of insomnia in a sample of twins. Results show a moderate heritability in children between 8 and 16 years of age, with significant genetic effects shared between insomnia, depression and anxiety. This suggests that overlapping genetic mechanisms may underlie these three disorders and may help explain why insomnia is so common in people who have depression and anxiety.

You can download the SLEEP 2009 abstract supplement as an 11 MB file in PDF format.

Two studies being presented today address the relationships between sleep, diet and exercise.

A study (#1277) being presented later this morning as a poster reports the surprising finding that regular daily exercise did not correlate with total sleep time. Instead, the study found that sleep improved after days of low exertion, and better-rested participants got less exercise and had less calorie expenditure. Possible explanations for these unexpected findings include differences in personality types and the influence of job and life stress.

A study (#0385) being presented this afternoon as an oral presentation found that sleep-restricted participants gained weight over the 11 days of the study even though they reported a decrease in appetite, food cravings and food consumption. The results suggest that energy intake still exceeded energy expenditure during sleep restriction in the sedentary environment of the laboratory.

You can download the SLEEP 2009 abstract supplement as an 11 MB file in PDF format.

One study (#0582) shows that some problem-solving and coping styles contribute to successful CPAP use. These include seeking advice and information from other people, and creating goal-oriented schedules.

Another study (#0576) shows that a spouse or cohabiting partner’s involvement can help improve CPAP compliance. The most effective methods of helping were “bilateral tactics,” which involve a collaborative effort to work together.

You can download the SLEEP 2009 abstract supplement as an 11 MB file in PDF format.

Final preparations are being made for the start of the SLEEP 2009 scientific program, which begins with the plenary session at 8 a.m. Pacific time.

Representatives from about 120 exhibitors are putting the finishing touches on their booths and displays, which were loaded into the exhibit hall and set up over the weekend. The SLEEP 2009 exhibit hall will open immediately after the plenary session.

Abstract authors who are scheduled for today’s first session of poster presentations are setting up their displays in the viewing room, which will open at 10:15 a.m.

Following the plenary session there will be a full schedule of clinical workshops, discussion groups, abstract presentations, meet–the-professor sessions, invited lectures, symposia and pro/con debates.View today’s session schedule.

A study (#0304) being presented later this morning as a poster suggests that napping may have a significant influence on young children’s daytime functioning. Results indicate that children between the ages of 4 and 5 who did not take daytime naps were reported by their parents to exhibit higher levels of hyperactivity, anxiety and depression than children who continued to nap at this age.

Another study (#0197) being presented this afternoon as an oral presentation reports that primary care pediatricians may be under-diagnosing sleep disorders in children and teens. Results show that less than four percent of children at 32 primary care pediatric practices were diagnosed with a sleep disorder, which is significantly lower than prevalence rates reported in epidemiological studies.You can download the SLEEP 2009 abstract supplement as an 11 MB file in PDF format.

Research abstracts being presented at SLEEP 2009 are examining how technology affects our sleep.

One study (#1260) being presented later this morning as a poster shows that television viewing is by far the dominant pre-sleep activity, accounting for almost 50 percent of pre-bed time. The authors also published results of their study in the June 1 issue of the journal SLEEP.

Another study (#1271) being presented later this morning as a poster reports that playing video games and computer games can affect sleep. College students who are “excessive” gamers had significantly poorer sleep hygiene and slept less on weekdays than “casual” gamers. Those who claimed to be addicted to gaming slept one hour less on weekdays.

A study (# 0200) being presented this afternoon as an oral presentation shows that many teens stay up too late at night using various technological devices such as a TV, computer, cell phone and MP3 player. Teens who get eight to 10 hours of sleep per night tend to do less technological “multi-tasking” after 9 p.m. The authors also published results of their study in the June issue of the journal Pediatrics. Read a summary of the study on the Sleep Education Blog.You can download the SLEEP 2009 abstract supplement as an 11 MB file in PDF format.

Three studies being presented later this morning as posters examine the relationship between race and sleep.

One study (#0463) reports that race significantly influences the risk of obesity conferred by short sleep duration, with blacks having a higher risk than whites. Results show that the prevalence of both short sleep and obesity was higher in black Americans than in white Americans.

Another study (#0459) used the same sample to show that both short and long sleepers are at great risk for diabetes. The prevalence of diabetes was 12 percent for blacks and eight percent for whites.

A third study (#1197) shows that whites were more likely to report having excessive daytime sleepiness more than five days per month, but African Americans had a significantly higher risk of daytime sleepiness using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.You can download the SLEEP 2009 abstract supplement as an 11 MB file in PDF format.

A study (#0868) being presented later this morning as a poster reports that insomnia with short sleep duration in men is associated with increased mortality. In women with insomnia and short sleep duration, the mortality risk was increased but not statistically significant.

In the April 1 issue of the journal SLEEP, the same research team also published a study showing that chronic insomnia with objectively measured short sleep time is an independent and clinically significant risk factor for hypertension. Read an AASM press release about the study.

You can download the SLEEP 2009 abstract supplement as an 11 MB file in PDF format.

SLEEP 2009 will begin in about three hours at 8 a.m. Pacific Time. Live updates will be provided throughout the day from the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in downtown Seattle, Wash.

This is the first time that the SLEEP Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC has been held on the West Coast since 2002, when Seattle also hosted the meeting.SLEEP 2008 was held in Baltimore, Md., and San Antonio, Texas, will host SLEEP 2010.